First up, was a bunch of fishing on Friday.
FISHING KIT + THROW BAG
Uploaded with ImageShack.comMain pocket with assorted lures and synthetic worms
Uploaded with ImageShack.comSide pocket with extra line, hooks & weights and pliars
Uploaded with ImageShack.comFront pocket with pliars, bug juice, mini FAK, Buck Silver Creek Bait Knife, Kleenex, zip ties, sunglasses string. There's also a pair of insulated fishing gloves in there but I removed them for the picture.
Uploaded with ImageShack.comSide pocket with PSK (lip balm, sunscreen, polysporin, crank flashlight, SAK, BIC, mylar blanket, bandaids, alcohol wipes, chem hand warmers, mini glo-stick)
Uploaded with ImageShack.comTHE FISHING
I mostly used my bass fishing set-up: a J-hook, tied on with a fisherman's knot and then baited with a Gary Yamamoto synthetic worm set-up weedless style. I left my gear on shore on Friday night when we went trolling for pickerel, and used a heavier rod and reel and a MUCH bigger lure. I only caught one little guy, but as a group, we caught a bunch of little guys. Only had four that we'd keep, and none over about a pound a half. We released them all except one, who died from the shock of the fight in the colder water.
Uploaded with ImageShack.comHere's me trying my best to catch something with my Ugly Stick and crappy Shakespeare reel (only had one bird's nest this weekend though)
Uploaded with ImageShack.comMy poor little baby bass, that my BFF thought might need a little TLC after the shock of being my only catch this year. We did cook fresh caught bass this weekend, but this little guy was released to go and get bigger.
Uploaded with ImageShack.comFIRE KIT
My fire kit for the weekend was simply my Gerber BG USK and a pocket tinder kit made out of an Altoid's tin and a bunch of natural tinder and some jute twine. I also had a couple of BICs and cotton balls for backup. I hoped to borrow the cottage axe as well, but the haft was cracked so I didn't use it. Thankfully a neighbor had one he left me use to split a couple of cedar logs, and then I split those further with my fixed blade. I also had my leather work gloves, my Leatherman Wave and a bandana.
Uploaded with ImageShack.comCOOKING KIT
I brought my 4 quart cast iron dutch oven, some aluminum foil and my CRKT Mt. Rainier for cooking gear. I borrowed a cutting board and strainer from the cottage. I also scavenged a 5lb coffee can, an aluminum pie plate a rock to use as a second cook pot and lid.
COOKING LUNCH OVER THE FIRE
I started with a twig fire, complete with three times the prep, tinder bundle of birch bark and wood shavings (made with my Gerber BGUSK), platform and brace made out of what seemed like petrified pine. (The axe at the cottage had a broken haft so I didn't use it, and the wood in the wood pile was way to hard to baton with my knife, so I needed LOTS of smaller branches to get enough coals to cook over. So much for my split wood fire!)
Uploaded with ImageShack.comKnee high flames in no time, just had to wait for some coals
Uploaded with ImageShack.comPrepping lunch of potato and leek soup (I used my CRKT Mt. Rainier folder to prep about 10-12 small-medium Yukon Gold potatoes chopped to about half an inchish, as well as everything but the woody green parts of three leeks) cooked in chicken broth (2 lrg tetra packs) and a little lake water, with 3 shallots and S&P, foil steamed chicken breast, steelhead trout and freshly caught small mouth bass. (all the meat was cooked in foil with butter and shallots. The chicken and trout got S&P, and the bass got stuffed with lemon pepper seasoning.) I also made Bisquick instant butter milk biscuits, but there wasn't enough room over the fire to bake them and still have everything ready at the same time.
Uploaded with ImageShack.comCooking over the fire: I pounded the chicken breast so it was about the same thickness as the fish, but put it directly above the coals so it would get a more direct heat.
Uploaded with ImageShack.comSoup and biscuits ready to serve... Notice the improvised cook pot and lid?
Uploaded with ImageShack.comDig in girls!
Uploaded with ImageShack.comYUM-O!! We used a little grated smoked gouda, along with S&P, for garnish. Everything turned out perfectly!
Uploaded with ImageShack.comHere's the You Tube videos from lunch:
The Prep
Almost ready to eat
SATURDAY NIGHT CAMPFIRE
And here's our Saturday night campfire, made with split cedar and a tinder bundle of cedar shavings and birch bark. I used the same process as above, with a platform and brace.
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Uploaded with ImageShack.comAnd here's a bit of video
Thanks for looking!
